Closure



L. K. SNELL Aug. 15, 1933.

CLOSURE Filed July 9, 1950 7 2 ,/5 53 0 4 J 3 i 37 zd 22 Patented Aug. 15, 193s oLosURE Lyle Snell, Dctroit,` Mich., assignor to Eaton Manufacturimr` Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

Corporation ci' Ohio Application July 9,1930. Serial No. 466,642

" s claims. `(o1. 22o- 40) This invention relates to closure devices of the type disclosed in the UnitedStates patent to James S. Reid, 1,736,173, ,granted November 19, 1929, and as its principal object aims to 1; provide an improved form `of venting means for closures of this type.

In closure structures of the type. shown in thispatent the splashingoi the contents of the container, to which the 'closure is applied, causes 1 `:jliqu'idto `enter the chamber between the inner andouter wall structures.` In the absence of means for accelerating the drainage of. liquid `back into the container,` .much of1 this liquid `escapes through the vent passages leading to atmosphere.

I have found, however, that when these devices are constructed as hereinafter dis closed this loss `o1 liquid is reduced to a mini mum.

` Other objects and advantages of this invention will `be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accom` panying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevational view with parts broken away,` showing a closure constructed acjcording to my invention.

Fig. a sectional elevation taken online 2-2 of Fig. 1. b

Fig. 311s a sectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.` 2. i

Fig: 4 is a top plan View of a ller neck to4 which my closure may be applied, and

Fig. 5 is asectional elevation taken on lineses of 4; i

In the drawing,- to which I shall novi/'refer in 1;detail, I have shown a bayonet type closure hav-f ing venting means constructed and arranged aci cording to my invention, and a filler neck with which this closureA may be used. 1

.The liller neck may be of any desired form,

Abut'as herein illustrated, is constructed as a tubular member 10, having at its innerend an annular iiang'ell adapted to besecuredpby any suitable means, to the wall of the container 12.`

At its outer endthe wall of the filler neckis .1 bent or flanged radially inwardly toprovide the transverse annular gasket seat 13. Portions of the flange which form the gasket seat are bent inwardly axially of the iiller neck to form lock-u ing extensions 14 which are engaged by the 1locking means or" the closure when the latter is applied to the iller neck. The inner edges of these locking extensions are tapered to form inclined cam surfacesl for drawing the closure toward the filler neck. These cam surfaces terfminate at one end thereof inthe diametrically opposed openings 16 formedadjacent the gasket seat 13,1 and at their opposite ends in the.

skirt portion 23.` The inner wall structure is.A

formed "with an annular. skirt portion 24 at its `outer edge which engages the depending skirt .on the outer wall structure with a press nt when the parts are in assembled relation shown injFig. 2. At its center the inner wall structure is shaped to provide the depending Y hollow boss or extension 25, `which houses the looking member 21. The locking member is supported upon the bottom wall of this eintension, `and is `secured thereto preferably .by means of the rivet 25. The end portions of Ythe locking member form locking finger extensions 27 which project outwardly through Vthe openn ings `28 provided in the side wall of the hollow extension. W b

' The transversely extendingannular portion 29 which connects the hollow central extension with the depending skirt portionof the inner wall structure, -iorms a seat for the gasket 30 which surrounds lthe hollow extension. The chamber or Vspace 31 betweenthe inner and outer wall structures -is vented to the atmosphere through '90 ings 32 so that liquid which nds it way into this chamber and is splashed upon its walls, willbe drained awayfrom these openings and back into the container. 1

As the Aliquid is splashed about within the container there is a` tendency for some of ,the liquid to flow into the hollow central extension through the openings 28 and to enter the chainber `between the inner and outer wall structures. To minimizethis tendency and thereby reduce the escape of liquid through Ythe vent openings' 32, I provide a plug member 33 which is pressed into the outer end of the hollow central extension 20. Anopening 34 is provided. through theplug member `for ventingthechamber 31v to the `interior of the device to which the closure is applied. In constructing the vent pas* sage 34 the metal is sheared in such a way that the material displaced in forming the opening is bent into a hood-like baffle 35 over the opening. If liquid passes through the vent opening 34 upon violent surging in the container 12, the baffle 35 will deflect this liquid laterally and prevent its being directed upwardly against the top of the chamber, thereby preventing the liquid from reaching and escaping through the vent passages 32. The liquid which does enter the chamber 31 and is splashedv onto the top wall portion'22 and onto the annular portion 29, readily follows the inclination of the latter portion and drains into the recess of the plug 33 from whence it iiows back into the container through the vent passage 34.

When the closure is applied to the ller neck, the locking ngers enter the opening 16, and upon rotation of the closure relative to the neck, these fingers engage and follow the inclined cam surfaces 15 in a well-known manner, until they abut against the stops 18. The inclination of the cam surfaces and the resiliency of the locking member causethe gasket 30 to be pressed against the transversely eX- tending gasket seat 13, which, if desired, may be provided with the raised annular bead 36.

It will now be readily seen that I have provided a simple and compact form of closure construction in which theventing means is so arranged as to minimize the loss of liquid through the vent passages. The location of the passage connecting the v ent chamber with the container, and the baiiierassociated with this passage, greatly reduce the tendency for liquid to enter the vent chamber, and, furthermore, the liquid which does enter this chamber is deflected by the baiile so that it does not reach the vent passages leading to atmosphere. It will also be readily seen that the inclined portion of the inner wall structure accelerates the drainage of liquid away from the vent passages leading to atmosphere and back toward the container so that the liquid which is splashed intoV the vent chamber, and which has heretofore escaped from closures ofA this type, is now drained back into the container.V

While I have illustrated and described my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that I do notY intend to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangements of parts illustrated and described, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not involve a departure from the spirit vof the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A closure comprising inner and outer wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air chamber therebetween, locking means carried by said inner wall structure, one oi said wall structures having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to atmosphere and said inner wall structure having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to the interior of the device to which the closure is applied, and baie means for 'he second mentioned opening formed' from metal displaced from that opening.

2. A closure comprising inner and outer wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air chamber therebetween, said inner wall structure having a hollow cup-shaped portion centrally thereof, a plug member arranged to close the upper end oi s id cup-shaped portion, a locking member disposed in said cup-shaped portion, one of said wall structures having Van opening therethrough for venting said chamber to atmosphere and said plug member having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to the interior of the device to which the closure is applied, and baiiie means for the second mentioned opening formed by metal displaced from that opening.

3. A closure comprising inner and outer wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air chamber therebetween, and locking means carried by said inner wall structure, said inner wall structure having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to the interior of the device to which the closure is applied and a second opening near the outer edge thereof for venting said chamber to the atmosphere, said inner wall structure having a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion inwardly of said second opening whereby liquid splashed onto the walls of said chamber is drained away from the second opening and bacia:r into said device.

4. A closure comprising inner and outer wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air chamber therebetween, and locking means carried by inner wall structure, said inner wall structure having an opening therethorugh for venting said chamber to the interior of the device to which the closure is applied and a second opening through the highest available portion thereof for venting said chamber to atmosphere, said inner wall structure having an inclined portion adjacent the second mentioned opening and sloped inwardly therefrom whereby liquid spiashed on to the walls of said chamber is drained away from said second opening and bach into said device.

5. A closure comprising inner and outer Wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air'charnber therebetween, locking means carried bysaid inner wall structure, one of said wall structures having an opening therethrough for venting said chambei` to atmosphere and said inner wail structure having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to the interior of the device tox which the closure is appiied, the latter opening being below the iirst mentioned vent opening, and a baiiie above said latter opening for deiiecting liquid which is splashed therethrough whereby such liquid is prevented from passing upwardly directly to the first mentioned vent opening.

6. A closure comprising inner and outer wall structures having portions spaced to provide an air chambertherebetween, locking means carried by said inner wall structure, one of said wall structures having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to atmosphere and said inner wail structure having an opening therethrough for venting said chamber to the interior of the device to which the closure is applied, and a laterally extending hood-like baiiie associated with the second mentioned opening, said baiiie being adapted to direct the rluid which is splashed through the second-mentioned opening so that such uid does not strike the top wall of the chamber.

LYLE K. SNELL. 

